Personals for John and Chris at Poole

THERE were smiling faces around the result board at the end of the Poole Wheelers’ Open 10-mile time trial on Sunday.
The previous day’s gale had blown itself out to provide excellent warm conditions which led to a crop of “personals” and near-bests.
Totton ace Stephen Whitewick was only seven seconds away from his fastest to take victory with a 30mph-plus time of 19-36, while Poole Whrs’ Gary Dighton clocked a PB of 20-12 to head clubmates Andy Buddle (third with 20-33) and Paul Jones (fifth with 20-35) to the team win.
Fourth place was filled by Sotonian Andrew Bryson (Contre la Montre) with a two-second PB of 20-34.
New Forest Cycling Club’s John Heffernan was happy to hew another 10 seconds from his “personal” with 21-35 for 15th, though he felt he “could have given a bit more at the end”.
His clubmate Chris Hughes was overjoyed to have lopped a full 26 seconds from his previous best, reducing it to 23-12.
Other NFCC times: Chris Jolliffe, a year’s best 25-59, Bob Jolliffe 28-51.

Weather decimates big field

The tips of leaf-laden trees appeared to be trying to touch their roots in the south-westerly gale and cold rain which greeted riders in the rescheduled Hampshire Road Club 10 between Liss and Liphook the previous evening.
The event had been postponed from April 28 after a deluge rendered the course unsafe. This time though, the rain was not heavy enough to cause spray issues from passing traffic, but helped contribute to a much-reduced field of just 27 from the original 107.
Fastest of those brave enough to start was Tri UK Gatorade’s Pete Younghusband with a cracking 20-53.
Bishopstoke’s Andy Rivett (VC St Raphael) took fifth with 21-33 while his teammate and second claim New Forest CC member Martin Beale was eighth with 22-40. New Forest CC veteran Bob Jolliffe was 20th with 28-49 which won him the “Chairman’s Spot Prize”.

A few miles north at Bentley a couple of hours earlier New Forest CC’s Chris Jolliffe clocked 27-09 in the Hounslow & District Wheelers’ 10 in windy, but dry, weather. Winner there was Wouter Sybrandy (IG-Sigma Sport) with 20-29.

Three days earlier, Chris clocked 26-22 in the East Anglian CC 10. Winner was Jim Burgess of Anglia Velo with 21-16.

Birthday ride and barbecue

More than 20 New Forest CC members signed on for their club’s Birthday Reliability Trial taking in 100km of quiet forest roads and lanes on Sunday.
The route, which started at Sway War Memorial, took in Portmore, Sowley, Bucklers Hard, Calshot, Blackfield, Hilltop, Lyndhurst, Emery Down, Linwood, Ringwood, Burley Lawn and Wootton, ended with a barbecue at the clubroom at Tiptoe Church Hall.
About 30 members and their families enjoyed the barbecue, organised by Nigel Gemmell, his mum and Donna Shaw. While adults chatted and tucked into the chops, sausages and burgers, the children were entertained by big toys and the hall playgroups’s artificial turf hill.